


Blue Mountain Cowboys

by pinkdiamonds



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Dancing, First Dates, First Kiss, Gay Bar, M/M, Romance, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-02-08 23:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1960884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When things don't work out for Rodney and Jennifer, John makes his move.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blue Mountain Cowboys

John returned to Atlantis exactly nine days, sixteen hours and forty-three minutes into his four-week leave. While he’d been happy to visit Dave and Dave’s family, he’d been tense and fidgety, unused to, and uncomfortable with, the silence of a living space that didn’t murmur softly and continuously in his head. He’d be happy to spend the rest of his leave on Atlantis, venturing out to see the sights in San Francisco if he became bored.

He quickly unpacked his clothing, sorting through what needed to be washed; neatly repacking his clean clothing along with the clothing he’d left behind. He didn’t bother to unpack his new gaming system, figuring he’d set it up once he had new quarters. Rodney may have thought John was inept when it came to any sort of Earth technology, but it just wasn’t true. He was looking forward to playing the games he’d bought, and catching up on his reading on his new, fully loaded reader. He’d gone on an orgy of buying, purchasing the latest tech and hundreds of books, albums, and games from the App store and Amazon, along with dozens of games for the gaming system. 

He’d also bought a real bed, complete with the best mattress, pillows and linens money could buy. The bed was due to be delivered in a few days. He was finally going to move out of his tiny quarters and live in a real apartment now that the scientists had cleared some of the larger buildings containing living spaces. Since he was back on the city, he thought he’d get his claim in.

With that in mind, John radioed Lorne. “Major? It’s Sheppard. What’s the new housing protocol?”

“Colonel Sheppard?” Lorne responded. “I heard a rumor that you were back on the city. Thank you, sir. I had nine days, eighteen hours in the pool.”

“Pool?” John drawled.

“Yes, sir. On how long you’d stay away from Atlantis.”

Laughing, John said, “I hope it was a big pot.”

“That it was, Colonel.”

“Good, I’ll be expecting a case of good beer. Housing, Major?”

Back to business, Lorne replied, “Woolsey personally inspected and assigned quarters for the senior staff. I’ll send Lieutenant Edison to escort you to your new quarters.”

“Thank you, Major,” John signed off.

He’d wanted to ask about McKay, but he refused to acknowledge that he had no idea what his supposed best friend was up to. By the time they landed Atlantis in the Bay, he and Rodney were barely talking. The only people that were privy to that information besides he and Rodney were Teyla, Ronon, and Radek. It wouldn’t do to let anyone who could talk to the IOA or the SGC in on the fact that the head of the military and the CSO were at odds with each other.

John had had the audacity to suggest that perhaps Rodney could do better than Jennifer fucking Keller. McKay had lost his temper during their brief conversation. Sheppard tried over and over to explain that any woman looking to mold the scientist into a better version of himself wasn’t really worthy of his time. In the end, it didn’t matter. Rodney had gotten pissed and stayed pissed. Teyla, Ronon, and Zelenka had all tried to tell him that John wasn’t just being an asshole. It didn’t matter to Rodney that they all agreed with John. 

McKay had hightailed it off Atlantis with Jennifer, not bothering to tell any of his friends where he was going or how long he’d be away. Or even if he’d be back. As the head of military, John had access to all personnel files, and he knew Keller wasn’t going to be on Atlantis when the city eventually left Earth. He suspected that McKay would opt to stay on Earth with her, although that had been far from decided the last time he’d seen Rodney.

He’d visit Radek after he got his living situation settled. It was possible that the scientist had spoken to McKay while John had been away. A brisk knock interrupted John’s thoughts. 

“That was fast, Lieutenant,” John told the younger man.

“Yes, sir. I thought you’d be anxious to see your new quarters,” Edison said.

“I am, let’s go take a look. Where did Woolsey put me anyway?” John asked as Edison began walking.

“One of the penthouses near the South East pier. He kept teams in the same buildings, and all the department heads together. He split up everyone else according to some kind of algorithm that Miko Kusanagi helped him develop. Every building has a combination of civilian and military,” Edison answered his commanding officer. “We’re all spread out, but we also all have easy access to the main tower. He’s even got apartments assigned for any new personnel we get.”

“Leave it to Woolsey,” John observed chuckling.

They arrived at one of four doors on the nineteenth floor of an elegant building and Edison stepped aside for Sheppard. John opened the door and encountered a large living room with hallways leading deeper into the apartment, and a kitchen off to the left. A glass wall led to a balcony that looked out over the Pacific. John quickly looked into the other rooms and was shocked at all the space he could now call his own. The rooms were sparsely furnished and sunlight poured in through the large windows. It was the bathroom in the largest bedroom that sold John on the apartment though. 

Walking through a long closet and a small room that might have been used as a dressing room, the bathroom was self contained, and luxurious, bordering on decadent. There was an enormous round, white bathtub on a platform, surrounded by Roman type columns, and had marble-like steps leading up to it. It sat in front of an arched floor to ceiling window, while the tub was enclosed in filmy, flowing curtains. 

An archway led to a large shower stall with multiple jets on the ceiling and three walls. A wall-to-wall counter held two large bowls, with the water source attached to the wall above them. There was ample storage space and a mirror covered half the wall opposite the sinks. Another arched entrance held a toilet and sink.

John left the room, already anticipating a bath. Edison had remained in the living room. Grinning, he asked, “Will this do, sir?”

Returning the grin, John joked, “It has potential.” 

“Yes, sir,” Edison agreed. “There’s extra furniture in stores, Colonel. Just let Lieutenant O’Shea know what you pick out and it’ll be delivered. Or, you can shop for whatever you like in San Francisco.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant. Dismissed.” John figured it wouldn’t take more than two trips to get all his stuff moved. It would be a simple matter of corralling a few marines to move the bed the master bedroom currently held and to set up his new one.

Stepping onto the balcony in order to orient himself, John took a deep breath, smelling the ocean. As he looked out over the horizon, he wondered which apartment Rodney would be assigned - - if he returned. 

John headed over to the labs, hoping Zelenka was still at work and that he’d heard from Rodney. The labs without McKay always seemed too quiet to John. Tonight, they were quieter than usual as most of the scientists were on leave and had left Atlantis. As Rodney’s second, Radek would take his leave when Rodney or Kusanagi returned from their leave.

Radek looked up when John entered, unsurprised to see him. “Hello, Colonel. I had heard you were back on the city. I was just about to break for a cup of coffee. Will you join me?” the scientist questioned. 

“Um, sure. We could go to the mess.”

“Oh, no, no. No more of that swill. I bought a Keurig coffee machine and enough coffee to last even Rodney for a year,” Radek said dryly. “Actually, I bought three of them, but that will be our secret.”

John watched as the other man brewed the coffee, the rich aroma of it filling the lab. “Aren’t you working a little late?” John inquired as he was handed a steaming cup of coffee.

“Yes, but it’s amazing how much work I can get done without McKay screaming in my ear all the time,” Zelenka answered.

John laughed and decided to never tell Zelenka that he found Rodney’s frequent tirades amusing.

“I had ten days, fifteen minutes in the pool.”

Rubbing a hand through his hair, John looked sheepish. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Is not a problem, Colonel. I’m sure to win Rodney’s pool,” he said.

“So, you’ve heard from him?”

“I have. And if you wait patiently for a few more days, Rodney will be back,” Radek advised.

John blushed, wondering how Zelenka had known what he was planning. John had been set to go and convince Rodney to come back to Atlantis. “What makes you think that?”

“Rodney is a good man and he is many things, including pigheaded. What you told him has been rolling around in that big brain of his,” Radek assured John. “When I spoke to him yesterday, he was ranting about the things Dr. Keller is expecting of him. For one, she wants him to leave the program entirely and teach.”

“Rodney would be miserable, he hates teaching,” John noted.

“Yes, he does. But according to him, Dr. Keller is being quite insistent and demanding. I give it three, four days tops before Rodney recognizes he’s made a very large mistake and bolts.”

John nodded in agreement. “Hopefully, he won’t still be mad by the time he gets back.”

“McKay hates to be wrong, but I’m sure he’ll have forgiven you. That just leaves the problem of settling his private life,” Zelenka observed.

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna sit that one out, Radek,” John groaned. “I doubt he’d appreciate me sticking my nose into his business again.”

Radek glared at John for a few moments, seeming to come to a decision. “Do you think I’m a stupid man, Colonel?”

“Hardly,” John replied dryly.

“I am also not blind and bad with people like Rodney. You may be better with people, but sometimes you are just as blind,” Radek pointed out. “Anyone who knows you and McKay realizes that you were made for each other.”

John felt the first stirrings of panic with that blunt statement. He sipped at his coffee in a transparent stall for time. He usually deflected such observations with a joke or sarcastic remark, which he doubted would work this time. He settled on clueless. “Huh?”

“I thought you already agreed that I am not stupid, John,” Radek scolded. “Besides, you deserve to be happy, and Rodney is much more pleasant to be around when he is getting sex on a regular basis.”

John dropped his act, and said with some heat and much bitterness, “Except I don’t have blonde hair and tits.”

Unexpected laughter burst out of Radek. After a few minutes, he removed his glasses and wiped his eyes. “When it comes to you, those things do not matter. I have strategy all planned out.”

John’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Strategy?”

“Yes, John. Strategy. You aren’t the only one capable of such.”

A tiny tendril of hope began to snake its way through John. Smiling, he asked, “What did you have in mind?”

“You are going to take Rodney on a date,” Radek told him.

“That’s your bright idea?” John scoffed. “Rodney will never go out on a date with me!”

“I know, John, which is why we don’t tell him it’s a date. If you plan accordingly, he will figure it out before date is over.”

“What sort of date do you suggest?”

“Dinner and dancing?”

“Where am I supposed to take him dancing?” John demanded.

“Bah, you are going to force me to reassess your intelligence. I don’t think it will be very hard to find a gay bar where you can dance in San Francisco,” Zelenka retorted.

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Then you will take me out on a date. Rodney is very dependable and you can count on him being jealous if you show anyone attention he feels should be his,” Radek smirked.

“That - - that could work,” John grinned.

“We will certainly hope so, Colonel.”

~*~

It generally wasn’t Rodney McKay’s style to react to life’s setbacks with his tail between his legs. On his return to Atlantis, he didn’t disappoint. He stomped back onto the city, his belligerent body language warning all who saw him that he would tolerate no questions or comments. 

If he was surprised by the privacy granted him, he didn’t let on. He’d never clued in to the fact that while most of the expedition thought he was something of an asshole, they all had a lot of respect for the man who had so often kept dangerous situations from escalating into outright catastrophes. 

On Sheppard’s orders, he was escorted directly to his new quarters, right next door to John. Lieutenant Edison told Rodney he would be available to help him move his belongings at his convenience. Rodney thanked him, dismissing him for the moment.

Walking around the apartment, Rodney was grateful that he hadn’t tendered his resignation before he’d left on his disastrous vacation the way Jennifer had wanted. That was only the first issue she wouldn’t let go of. As each day passed, she became more demanding and more critical of every word that came out of his mouth. The tipping point came when Jennifer insisted he resign from the program and teach. She told him she didn’t see how they could possibly have a future together if he refused her. Rodney had calmly agreed with her and left. Since then, she’d attempted to call him a dozen times. He hadn’t bothered to answer any of her phone calls.

When Rodney saw the bathtub, he groaned. The thought of sinking into the large basin with its multiple jets appealed greatly. It would also give him the time he needed to formulate his apologies. Apologizing to Radek, Teyla, and Ronon would be a walk in the park. He hadn’t said cruel, hateful things to them. It was his apology to Sheppard that he worried about. He’d accused John of being jealous of his relationship with Jennifer. He hadn’t wanted to believe that Jennifer didn’t want the man he was. Sheppard had been right, and Rodney hoped that his apology would be accepted.

He spent a solid forty minutes in a bath, unwinding and relaxing in the warm water and powerful jets. Dressing in soft, well-worn sweats and an even softer t-shirt, (yet another thing Jennifer disapproved of) Rodney radioed Edison to find out where his team and 2IC were now living. Checking the time, Rodney thought he’d be able to find Zelenka in the labs and headed out the door to start making his apologies.

~*~

Two hours later, Rodney pressed the slight indentation on Sheppard’s door. His efforts with Zelenka, Teyla, and Ronon had been well received, leaving Rodney feeling guilty that he had treated them so poorly and counting himself lucky that he had such good friends.

~*~

Sheppard had known the minute Rodney was back on the city. He’d arranged for him to be directed to his new quarters. Despite Zelenka’s assurances, John wasn’t fully convinced Rodney was here to stay. He wasn’t above pandering to the scientists’ hedonistic nature, and figured the apartment might help his cause.

When the chimes rang out pleasantly, he wiped suddenly clammy hands down his sweats. Opening the door, he grinned when he saw Rodney, his eyes startling bright against his pale face. “Hey, buddy. Welcome back,” he said.

“Hi, John. Um, I… I owe you an apology. You were right, I was wrong, and I didn’t mean to say you were jealous. I know you were trying to be my friend,” he said in a rush.

“I guess I owe you an apology, too. I had no business interfering in your personal life,” John admitted.

“Do me a favor. The next time, interfere earlier,” McKay requested.

“Sure thing,” John agreed. “Hey, I got the new X-box and about a hundred games. You wanna play?”

“Hell, yeah,” Rodney said, as he walked in.

The two men played for a few hours, snacking on chips and downing a few beers. Rodney was losing steam fast and John called it a night, even though it was still early. He could read the stress Rodney had been under over the last weeks. “Do you want to get dinner in San Francisco tomorrow?” John asked.

“Sure. Did you have anyplace special in mind?”

“My brother told me where to get a good steak if you’re interested. Served with sour cream mashed potatoes. Or we could do Italian or French,” John suggested, leaving the choice to Rodney.

“Steak and potatoes? I’m there. Do I need to wear a suit?”

As hot as John thought McKay looked like in a suit, dinner wasn’t the point. Dancing was. And a suit would be out of place where he planned on taking Rodney dancing. “Nah. Just some good jeans and a button down shirt.”

“Excellent. See you tomorrow, Sheppard,” Rodney yawned.

It was still early enough to make reservations and for once, John didn’t balk at using his family name and his rank.

~*~

The Big 4 resembled what John imagined a Gentlemen’s Club of yesterday looked like. It was all warm, gleaming wood, smoked glass tables, and green leather. Black and white and sepia toned photos of past dignitaries lined the walls. It was a comfortable, masculine space in which both men felt at ease. 

They took a few minutes to study the menu and both opted for the Baked Oysters and aged Rib Eye with a double helping of mashed potatoes. John ordered a half bottle of a good California Cabernet. They spent the meal like a hundred others before, arguing about sci-fi movies and good-naturedly insulting each other. They sipped slowly at their wine as they talked and ate. The meal was capped off with a homemade caramel gelato. John took care of the bill unobtrusively when it was presented.

On the way out, John turned to Rodney. “You wanna go grab a beer?”

“Only if they have some decent beer,” Rodney declared.

“I think I can manage to find some place that serves imported beer.”

“Lead on, Colonel.”

Hailing a cab, he directed the driver to Blue Mountain Cowboys. The short cab ride was accomplished in companionable silence. The bar took up an entire corner of the street, the building rounded at the entrance and stretching out to either side of the street. Sleek and modern, the building was white, yet still managed to seem warm and welcoming.

John escorted Rodney in, his hand at the small of his back. A large dance floor was surrounded on three sides by small tables and booths, with the long bar at the back wall. The lighting was soft, but not dim. The dance floor was well populated, but there was enough room for at least another hundred or so dancers. Why Don’t We Just Dance was playing, and most of the people in the bar were following that advice.  
There was a large group of men line dancing and a number of couples dancing with each other in a variety of styles.

John steered them to a small table. A waiter appeared and they placed their orders, Rodney demanding anything on tap that wasn’t American, while John laughed. “I’m going to go line dance, you want to try it?”

“Um, I’ll just watch for a while,” Rodney declined.

~*~

Rodney watched Sheppard join the line dancers as a new song started, the singer imploring someone to put a drink in his hand. He was surprised that John even knew how to dance; he certainly attempted to sit out every ceremonial dance they’d ever encountered off world. When he was unable to sit out, his dancing was stiff and awkward. Rodney now thought it was because he didn’t know the dances, not because he didn’t know how to dance.

Watching his friend now, he thought that Sheppard should dance every day. Especially in the tight jeans he was wearing tonight. Jeans that fit his slim hips well. Really well. John moved with perfect timing, the seemingly complex steps changing with every song played. Rodney couldn’t take his eyes away as he watched John slick his way through six songs.

The DJ announced a break and John came back to the table, lightly sweating, and drinking his beer in one long swallow. Rodney suddenly wondered what he would look like in passion. To cover his confusion, he sipped at his own beer. “How come you never dance when we’re on missions?”

“It’s a little hard to dance with a P-90, Rodney. And most of our missions turn to shit. Dancing would distract me and that’s how people end up dead.”

Nodding in agreement, Rodney said, “Point.” 

John ordered another round of beers. “How come you don’t dance on missions?”

“I take my cues from you. If you’re not comfortable enough to put your gun down, I’m certainly not,” he answered.

“Makes sense. Do you dance?” John asked curiously.

“Actually, I do. Jeannie took ballroom dancing lessons and she practiced with me. I ended up a better dancer than her,” he chuckled at the memory.

“It’s time to slow it down a little, folks,” the DJ announced.

John stood and crooked his finger at Rodney, beckoning him onto the dance floor. Rodney had spent thirty minutes or so watching John line dance and the ease with which he moved his body was a mystery that had preoccupied him to the exclusion of everything else going on around him. He’d never been able to walk away from a mystery.

As the opening strains of a slow country song began, Rodney stood in some confusion. John moved, sliding his hands into the back pockets of Rodney’s jeans. McKay’s arms went around John to keep his balance. John’s hips circled as he drew Rodney deeper into his arms, quietly singing the words of the song, “Come a little closer, come a little closer… My eyes are the only thing I don’t wanna take off of you.”

“Oh my god! This is a date. Is this a date?” McKay babbled.

John’s eyes crinkled in laugh lines. “You may be slow to catch on, McKay, but you get there eventually,” John said softly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rodney demanded.

“Would you have come on a date with me, McKay?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Yeah? I wasn’t so sure,” John admitted.

“Wait a minute. I’m not the girl here, am I?” Rodney fumed as he stiffened in John’s arms.

John pressed Rodney against him tighter, feeling his hardening cock and allowing McKay to feel his. “Nope. That’s the best part,” he murmured. “Relax, McKay. You had a nice dinner, we’ll do some dancing, and if you play your cards right, you’re gonna get lucky tonight.”

The music changed, a sultry and sexy tune that allowed for slow writhing, John singing the signature line in Rodney’s ear, “Just got started lovin’ you.”

“Why now, John?”

“Because I’m afraid that you’ll find another pretty doctor or botanist. I thought after the parasite thing, with you only remembering me, that I’d make my move when you got better,” Sheppard explained. “But, when you did, you told anyone who’d listen that you were in love with Keller, so I, I stepped aside,” his body swaying against the man in his arms in a slow grind.

The DJ spun yet another tune and he seemed to be picking out music just for the two of them. “I can’t believe how much it turns me on, just to be your man,” John sang in a whisper.

Rodney whispered back, “Is that what I am?” 

“Oh, yeah,” John said into Rodney’s mouth, kissing him softly.

Pulling away, he dragged John off the dance floor and out of the bar. “I’m ready to get lucky. Let’s go home.”

### Afterward

Radek sat in his new spacious quarters counting his rather sizable winnings. He didn’t win the pot for when Rodney would return to Atlantis, however. Instead, he won the pot that had been started years ago and was continually updated and added to as the years went by as to just when Sheppard and McKay would finally give in and tumble into bed. The last pot had been started even as Atlantis was landing in the Bay. Radek was declared the winner after Sheppard and McKay had shown up to breakfast sporting goofy smiles, and eyes only for each other. 

Radek didn’t feel a bit of guilt winning with a bit of inside information. He figured he’d buy them a really nice gift when they got married.

 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Shazzz for beta duties. Any errors are mine alone.
> 
> Line Dancing Music:
> 
> Why Don’t We Just Dance by Josh Turner  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1Z9DEDqpk
> 
> Drink In My Hand by Eric Church  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usGv0gB2zEU&list=RDusGv0gB2zEU
> 
> Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvKyBcCDOB4
> 
> Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvCgSqPZ4EM
> 
> All Over The Road by Easton Corbin  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IRNLeBoozo
> 
> Boot Scootin’ Boogie by Brooks and Dunn  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d05tQrhNMkA
> 
> Good Time by Alan Jackson  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSROm-vgVRk
> 
>  
> 
> Couples Dancing Music:
> 
> My eyes by Blake Shelton:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLWDF4DFbF0
> 
> Just Got Started Lovin’ You by James Otto:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCx6NnGYHh0&list=PL0C5B7E62E05F3D80
> 
> Your Man by Josh Turner  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nADTbWQof7Y


End file.
